Godfather-like figures organize complex crash for cash schemes involving staged, induced, and ghost crashes to fraudulently obtain insurance payouts. They recruit drivers, passengers, and professional enablers like doctors and repair shops to carry out the schemes, which can net up to £30,000 per crash. The schemes cost insurers millions each year and ultimately increase premiums for all policyholders.

1. Crash for Cash-Organized Crime
Staged Crash
Induced Crash
Ghost Crash
Crash for Cash- Putting the brakes on fraud

2. ‘Crash for Cash’
• Definition - to stage or deliberately cause a road
traffic collision solely for the purpose of financial
gain.
• Across the world criminal gangs are organizing
‘Crash for Cash’ scams, faking or deliberately
causing thousands of ‘accidents’ every year just to
submit fraudulent insurance claims.

3. ‘Crash for Cash’

4. Crash for Cash

5. The Crash
• In most collisions where a vehicle is shunted from
behind, the driver of the car behind is deemed ‘at
fault’.
• The key element of a ‘Crash for Cash’ scam is
therefore causing an accident for which the other
driver can be blamed.
• To do so, fraudsters adopt one of three methods:
• Staged Crash
• Induced Crash
• Ghost Crash

6. The Crash

7. The staged accident (Crash)
• Two vehicles, both in the hands of the criminals,
will be deliberately crashed together away from
the public eye.
• Sometimes the fraudsters may just take a sledge
hammer to the vehicles to mimic the effects of a
genuine car crash.

8. The staged accident (Crash)

9. The Induced Accident (Crash)
• With an induced accident, the fraudster
targets an innocent motorist to become the
‘at fault’ driver.
• Typically the fraudster’s car will pull in front
of the victim, slam on the brakes and if the
driver behind can’t stop in time be shunted
from the rear.

10. The Induced Accident (Crash)

11. The Induced Accident (Crash)
• Fraudsters often disable brake lights on their
vehicles to give the unsuspecting victim no
chance of stopping in time.
• Over the years methods have become increasingly
sophisticated, involving more than one
participant, decoy vehicles and fake witnesses.
• By targeting motorists on roads, fraudsters are
gambling with the lives of innocent people.

12. The Induced Accident (Crash)

13. The Ghost Accident (Crash)
• Sometimes the fraudsters don’t bother crashing
cars at all.
• Contrived or ‘ghost’ accidents are paper-based
frauds, which involve submitting completely
fabricated claims for accidents which never actually
took place, and in some cases for cars that don’t even
exist.

14. The Ghost Accident (Crash)

15. The Cash
• Fraudsters look to make as much money out of the
scam as possible.
• Each ‘accident’ can net anything up to £30,000
through a combination of exaggerated insurance
claims for:

16. The Cash

17. ‘Crash for Cash’ - organized crime
• Crash for Cash’ is big business for criminal
gangs.
• Organized ‘Crash for Cash’ scams cost the
insurance industry £392 million every year.

18. ‘Crash for Cash’ - organized crime

19. A victimless crime?
• Honest policyholders ultimately pick up the bill for
‘Crash for Cash’, with increased premiums covering
the costs of fraud.
• Evidence also suggests the proceeds of organized
insurance fraud are used to finance other crimes,
including drug dealing, supply of illegal firearms,
money laundering and people trafficking.
• So far from being a victimless crime, ‘Crash for
Cash’ affects everyone.

20. A victimless crime?

21. The supply chain
• A closer look at the gangs involved in ‘Crash
for Cash’ and their network of contacts
provide a disturbing insight into the criminal
underworld.
• ‘Crash for Cash’ is a production line from a
criminal’s point of view.

22. The supply chain
• Godfather-like figures sit at the top of the
chain organizing the scams from start to finish.
• These organizers need a number of other parties
to complete the scam from start to finish.
• These include drivers and middlemen to stage
crashes, claimants to put in fake injury claims,
and professionals who can be corrupted or
duped into helping present what looks like a
genuine claim.

23. Godfather-like figures sit at the top of the chain
organizing the scams from start to finish

24. Professional enablers
• To assess the losses suffered after a genuine
accident, a claimant requires the services of
various professionals to value and present a
claim to an insurer.
• Therefore, even after the fraudsters have
organized a crash, they still have work to do to
present a genuine looking claim for the cash.

25. Professional enablers

26. Professional enablers
• To do so, criminal gangs rely upon key
individuals and organizations such as recovery
and storage companies, motor engineers, car
repair body shops, hire car companies,
doctors and solicitors so-called
‘professional enablers’.

27. Professional enablers

28. Professional enablers
• Claims management companies (CMCs) exist to take
care of the needs of accident victims everything from
pursuing personal injury claims to arranging courtesy
car hire while the damaged vehicle is being repaired.
Whilst many CMCs are genuine, some are set up by
criminal gangs to assist them in their scams.
• In many ‘Crash for Cash’ scams exposed by the
Insurance Fraud Bureau, criminal gangs who would
have otherwise operated out of back street garages,
have attempted to mask their crime behind the
seemingly legitimate front of a CMC.

29. Whilst many CMCs are genuine, some are set up by
criminal gangs to assist them in their scams.

30. Professional enablers
• Gangs typically own, or have links to,
professional enablers including car hire
organizations, car repair body shops, motor
engineers, doctors and solicitors.
• For each element of ‘loss’ presented, the
fraudsters require the necessary paperwork
from a professional to validate their claim.
This could be the valuation of damage to
vehicles or the assessment of personal
injuries, for example.

31. Professional enablers

32. Professional enablers
• In many cases vehicles will be damaged by
gangs before being presented to a motor
engineer and people will go to the doctor
pretending to be injured.
• At the other end of the spectrum, professionals
can be fully complicit in scams and reports will
be prepared writing off repairable vehicles and
exaggerating injuries.
• In some cases, completely bogus ‘injured
passengers’ have been added to fraudulent
claims.

33. In many cases vehicles will be damaged by gangs before being
presented to a motor engineer and people will go to the doctor
pretending to be injured

34. Professional enablers
• At the bottom of the chain are the recruited
drivers and passengers, putting their lives
and those of innocent motorists on the line
by causing accidents.
• Recruits can be willing participants or
vulnerable members of society intimidated into
assisting the scam.
• Those at the bottom of the chain often carry
the greatest risk of being caught first.

35. Gangs typically own, or have links to,
professional enablers

36. A typical ‘Crash for Cash’ network

37. Staged Auto Accident Fraud
• A staged crash is when drivers maneuver unsuspecting
motorists into crashes in order to make false insurance
claims.
• The cars generally suffer little damage in relation to
the large demand that is then fraudulently
submitted.
• In 2011, a group of seven people in North and South
Carolina were arrested for allegedly stealing over
$100,000 through staged crash schemes.
• According to the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud,
staged car crashes are a growing criminal problem.

38. Staged Auto Accident Fraud

39. Staged Auto Accident Fraud
• Automobile accidents are a daily occurrence
on our nation’s roads and highways, costing
the property-casualty insurance industry
billions of dollars in paid accident claims
each year.
• The consequences are even greater, however,
for you as an innocent motorist when you
become an unwitting participant in a fraud
scheme.

40. Staged Auto Accident Fraud

41. Staged Auto Accident Fraud
• Fraudulent automobile accidents occur more
frequently in urban areas where there is a
greater volume of vehicles, and also in wealthier
communities because drivers there are perceived
to have better insurance companies.
• Criminals often target new, rental, or
commercial vehicles because they tend to be
well-insured.
• Further, criminals prey upon women driving alone
and senior citizens, as they are thought to be less
confrontational at accident schemes.

42. criminals prey upon women driving alone and senior citizens,
as they are thought to be less confrontational at accident
schemes

43. Common Schemes
Left Turn Drive Down
• You are driving down a four-lane road preparing
to make a left hand turn.
• As you stop to make the turn, a driver heading the
other way slows to a stop, waves to you to go
ahead and turn.
• As you move ahead to complete the turn, the
driver who waved you through suddenly moves
forward blocking your entrance to the parking lot.
To avoid an accident, you stop.

44. Common Schemes
• However, another car coming down the road slams into
the side of your car.
• The car blocking the entrance leaves the scene making
it appear as though you are at fault for pulling into
oncoming traffic.
• The driver and passengers of the car that crashed into
you will all claim you pulled into traffic when it wasn’t
clear and they will all claim injuries.
• As a result, a claim is filed against your insurance
company to pay the criminals and unless someone
suspects fraud and investigates further, the criminals
cash in

45. Left Turn Drive Down
• https://youtu.be/itEcf0IaEs4

46. Right Turn Drive Down
• You pull up to an intersection preparing to make a
right-hand turn.
• You start to make the turn when suddenly another
vehicle runs into the back-left side of your car.
• The driver and passengers of the car that crashed
into you will all state you pulled into traffic when
it wasn’t clear and they will all claim injuries.
• Seemingly at fault, a claim is filed against your
insurance company to pay the criminals and
unless someone suspects fraud and investigates
further, the criminals cash in.

47. Right Turn Drive Down
• https://youtu.be/xfI2Cu5fP8s

48. Curb Drive Down
• You prepare to pull away from a curb and merge into
traffic.
• It’s clear, so you drive ahead.
• Suddenly, a car crosses from the left lane and
deliberately crashes into you.
• The driver and passengers of the car that crashed into
you will all claim you pulled into traffic when it wasn’t
clear and they will all claim injuries.
• As a result, a claim is filed against your insurance
company to pay the criminals and unless someone
suspects fraud and investigates further, the criminals
cash in.

49. Curb Drive Down
• https://youtu.be/7FFpExyhqh8

50. Swoop-and-Squat
• On an ordinary city street
• This typically involves three vehicles, two driven by
criminals and the third by an innocent victim.
• The driver of the “squat” vehicle pulls in front of the
victim’s car.
• The driver of the “swoop” vehicle pulls in front of the
squat vehicle, causing the driver of the squat vehicle to
hit his brakes.
• The victim cannot react in time and rear-ends the squat
vehicle. The swoop vehicle races off and is not seen
again. The victim then typically is responsible for any
vehicle damage and personal injury to passengers in the
squat vehicle.

51. Swoop-and-Squat

52. On a freeway or expressway
• Similar to the above, but four vehicles are
typically involved, with three belonging to
criminals.
• In this variation, the third criminal boxes in the
victim so he cannot change lanes when the
swoop vehicle cuts off the squat vehicle.
Following the crash, the swoop and box-in cars
speed off, again forcing the victim’s insurer to
pay the claim.

53. On a freeway or expressway

54. Varieties of the scam
• The "Swoop and Squat" scheme involves two
cars: one drives beside the victim, while the other
‘swoops’ in front of the victim car and stops
suddenly, causing a rear-end collision.
• The first car is usually full of accomplices who
will claim that they were injured even if it was
only a low-speed collision, submitting fraudulent
claims to the insurance company.
• The swoop car is usually driven by an
experienced ring member, while the “squat” car is
generally full of either accomplices, or victims.

55. Swoop and Squat

56. Varieties of the scam
• In the 1990s, poor Hispanic immigrants were
recruited to drive the swoop cars: a high-risk
job that nobody wanted, but for which the
immigrants could be paid only $100.
• One such driver, Jose Luis Lopez Perez,
died after a swoop and squat crash, leading
to an investigation which revealed the extent
of this fraud

57. In the 1990s, poor Hispanic immigrants were
recruited to drive the swoop cars

58. The "Panic Stop"
• The "Panic Stop" requires two merging
traffic lanes.
• As one driver signals to merge into the next
lane, he is waved forward by another driver
who proceeds to crash into the unsuspecting
driver, later claiming they never realized the
person was going to merge lanes.

59. The "Panic Stop"

60. The "Sideswipe"
• The "Sideswipe"
• Involves a victim car who drifts into the
adjacent lane while making a turn.
• The perpetrator of this fraud rushes to crash
into the car that just drifted into his/her lane.
Claiming innocence, the perpetrator then
submits a claim to their insurer

61. The "Sideswipe"

62. Shady Helpers
• "Shady Helpers" is a form of ambulance chasing
that usually happens after a genuine crash has
occurred.
• A fraud runner will solicit a crash victim and
advertise the services of specific repair shops,
chiropractors, or lawyers.
• These, in turn, will submit fraudulent claims on
the victim's behalf or deceive the victim into
undergoing unnecessary treatments or lawsuits.

63. Shady Helpers

64. "Crash For Cash Scams"
• Crash for cash scammers choose their
victims carefully they keep an eye out for
drivers who look like they would be fully
insured but be less likely to cause a fuss.
• The criminals, in a car in front of the victim,
slam on the brakes for no obvious reason, and
the victim has no time to react and collides
with the car in front.

65. Crash For Cash Scams

66. "Crash For Cash Scams"
• Another scenario (known as ‘flash for cash’)
happens when a driver flashes their lights at a
junction to let the victim out, then crashes into
the victim's car deliberately.
• The other driver will insist the accident is the
victim's fault.
• The scammer will then hand over their
insurance details sometimes already prepared
and written down.

67. flash for cash

68. "Crash For Cash Scams"
• A few weeks after the accident the victim's
insurers will write to the victim with details of
the other driver's claim which will be
exaggerated with costs like car hire, recovery
and whiplash injuries

69. Legislation
• Florida is the only state that has specific
legislation against faking a car crash in order to
receive insurance money.
• Other states have passed or are eyeing diverse
legislation targeting efforts by gangs to bring in real
and fake crash passengers to lodge phone crash-injury
claims.
• At least 15 states and the District of Columbia have
passed laws targeting runners of crash gangs or
soliciting of real auto crash passengers.

70. Florida is the only state that has specific legislation
against faking a car crash in order to receive
insurance money

71. Pengci
• Pèngcí is the practice of crooks placing
ostensibly expensive, fragile items (usually
porcelain) in places where they may easily be
knocked over, allowing them to collect
damages when the items are damaged.
• The term has been expanded to include a
predominantly Chinese crime where
scammers feign injury in traffic accidents in
order to extort money from drivers.

72. Pèngcí is the practice of crooks where scammers feign
injury in traffic accidents in order to extort money from
drivers.

73. How to Know If You're a Victim of a Staged
Accident
• Few things can ruin your day faster than a car
accident.
• What’s even worse is when you find out you
are the victim of a staged accident.
Unfortunately, this type of insurance fraud
is common during tough economic times,
like we’re currently facing.

74. How to Know If You're a Victim of a Staged
Accident

75. Types of Staged Auto Accidents
• T-Bone: A dishonest driver drives their car into the side of
your car as you pass through an intersection, “t-boning”
your car. They may have phony witnesses standing by to say
that you were at fault for running a red light or a stop sign.
• Swoop and Squat: This common scam happens when a
dishonest driver gets in front of you and slams on his
brakes, causing you to rear-end his vehicle. This may
happen during heavy traffic. He or she may work with other
drivers to box you in so that you can’t swerve out of the
way. They often have several passengers in the car, who will
claim to be injured.
• Drive Down or Wave: A dishonest driver waves you to
merge ahead of them into traffic. When you pull into the
lane, they speed up and hit you. After the accident, they
deny that they signaled to you.

76. Types of Staged Auto Accidents
• Start-and-stop. A start-and-stop scam often
occurs in heavy traffic.
• The individual in front would accelerate so
that the victim in the rear does too.
• Then they would slam on their brakes and
cause the unsuspecting victim to hit the rear
end of their vehicle.

78. Signs Your Accident May Have Been Staged
• After the accident, there may be several “witnesses”
who support the other driver’s version of events.
• In staged auto accidents, the other car often has
several passengers.
• Everyone seems relaxed and OK until the police show
up.
• At that point, they will complain of soft-tissue injuries.
• The driver of the other vehicle may try to talk you
out of calling the police, or may try to get you to
settle for cash on the spot and not call your
insurance.
• Someone may approach you after the accident and try
to talk you into visiting a certain doctor or auto body
shop.

79. Signs Your Accident May Have Been Staged

80. What You Can Do
• Always be aware of your surroundings and drive
defensively.
• Don’t get distracted with your cell phone or passengers, and
never tailgate other cars.
• After an accident, take lots of pictures of the scene from
all angles.
• Make sure you get photos of the other driver, his or her
license plate, and the damage to both vehicles. Your cell
phone camera will work well.
• Keep a pen and paper in your car at all times and take notes
or use your cell phone voice recorder immediately after
the accident, while everything is still fresh in your mind.
Write down a general description of the other driver, any
details you remember, as well as any impressions you may
have.

81. After an accident, take lots of pictures of the
scene from all angles.

82. Keep a pen and paper in your car at all times and take
notes or use your cell phone voice recorder
immediately after the accident

83. What You Can Do
• Call the police and get a report after an auto
accident, even if it’s minor.
• Make sure you get a copy of the police report,
and follow up with the officer.
• Report all accidents to your insurance
company, and never settle for cash on the spot.
If you think an accident was staged, you can
report it to the NICB.

84. Call the police and get a report after an
auto accident

85. Tips to Avoid Becoming a Victim of a Staged
Accident

86. Tips to Avoid Becoming a Victim of a Staged
Accident
• Induced accidents are often referred to as
“crash for cash”, slam ons” or even
(incorrectly) “staged accidents”.
• Fraud including induced accidents costs the
Insurance industry millions of pounds each year
and this cost is passed on to law-abiding
policyholders.
• Drivers can also be the victim of an induced
accident, which makes it look as if the perpetrator
of the induced accident is the innocent party in a
vehicle collision.

87. Tips to Avoid Becoming a Victim of a
Staged Accident
• The policyholder who is the true innocent victim,
is likely to suffer the inconvenience of needing to
repair their vehicle and managing without the
vehicle whilst it is undergoing repair, a loss of no
claims bonus and a fault claim on their insurance
record.
• Policyholders need to be mindful of the fraudster.
• The following advice minimizes the chances of
being involved in a fraudulent accident.

88. Tips to Avoid Becoming a Victim of a
Staged Accident
• Keep your distance.
• Keeping a safe distance will reduce your risk of running
into the back of somebody, by allowing a greater stopping
distance.
• Make sure you can see the tarmac below the tyres of the
vehicle in front.
• Beware of Tailgaters.
• By forcing you to concentrate on the car behind, the
criminals will attempt to take your eyes of the car in front of
you.
• The car in front is “in on the act” and will likely brake
suddenly, forcing you to hit the back of them, because your
concentration was on the vehicle behind.

89. Keep your distance
Beware of Tailgaters

90. Tips to Avoid Becoming a Victim of a
Staged Accident
• Always look for brake lights.
• Non- functioning lights can be a ploy to trap unsuspecting
motorists. Take extra care in traffic until you are certain that
the vehicle in front has fully operational brake lights. If a
car looks to be slowing quickly and the brake lights are not
illuminated, give that particular vehicle plenty of room.
• Take extra care at roundabouts or areas where there is
stop-start congestion.
• Hectic roundabouts, especially at rush hour, can be an ideal
opportunity for induced accidents. A typical example is
where there is a gap and you are keen to follow, the car in
front suddenly brakes and you follow – into the back of
their car. Try not to rush at roundabouts and be wary of
what the car in front is doing.

91. Always look for brake lights
Take extra care at roundabouts or areas where there
is stop-start congestion

92. Tips to Avoid Becoming a Victim of a
Staged Accident
• Beware of cars rapidly pulling out of junctions and then braking
in front of you.
• Be extra aware if you are a commercial vehicle owner.
• Commercial vehicle owners are targeted as there is a high
probability of the vehicle being fully insured and a company may be
less likely to contest a claim. One scam involves two cars and a
larger commercial vehicle. A car will drive in front of the
commercial vehicle, and the second car will intentionally sway into
the path of the car, forcing it to brake and the commercial vehicle to
go into the back of the car in front.
• Take extra care when in lanes.
• Motorways and dual carriageways always require drivers to be extra
diligent, but it is always worth being conscious of the middle lane. A
car can deliberately pull from the outside lane (fast lane) and cause
you to swerve into another car.

93. Beware of cars rapidly pulling out of junctions and then
braking in front of you.
Take extra care when in lanes
Be extra aware if you are a commercial
vehicle owner .

94. Tips to Avoid Becoming a Victim of a
Staged Accident
• If you have been involved in an accident and hit the
back of another vehicle, then do not panic.
• If you are remotely suspicious then be as vigilant as
possible. Report the incident in detail to the police as
soon as possible, think about taking photographs of
vehicle damage (as damage may be done to the vehicle
after the event to make it look like the impact was
much higher, thus allowing for a greater compensation
claim as more damage was caused) and take the full
details of the other party. Let your insurer know that
you believe the accident was caused deliberately, and
tell them why you think so.

95. If you have been involved in an accident and hit the
back of another vehicle, then do not panic

96. Crash for cash
• What is crash for cash?
• Crash for cash scams are run by fraudsters who
stage accidents, sometimes with innocent road
users, to profit from fraudulent insurance
claims.

97. How does crash for cash work?
• The criminals cause the accident in a number
of ways, including disabling their brake lights
to cause the car behind to run into them;
slamming on the brakes for no obvious reason;
flashing their lights at a junction to let you out,
then crashing into you deliberately; or working
in conjunction with other drivers in front of
them.

98. How does crash for cash work?

99. How can I tell if I have been a victim of a
crash for cash scam?
• There are three types of crash for cash:
• The staged accident: fraudsters crash their own
vehicles together or mimic damage from a genuine
crash.
• The induced accident: the fraudsters targets an
innocent motorist to become the ‘at fault driver’, for
example by deliberately slamming on the brakes of
their car to ensure the car behind crashed into them.
• The ghost accident’: fraudsters submit completely
fabricated claims for accidents which never actually
took place.

101. Who are the victims?
• Crash for cash fraudsters often target
vulnerable drivers, who are under time
pressure or do not want to cause any trouble.
• Ultimately, fraudsters harm all law-abiding
motorists: beyond the obvious safety implications,
they cause unnecessary work for emergency
services and the NHS, and innocent victims of
induced accidents can lose their no-claims bonus
and may see their premiums rise following an
‘accident.’

102. Crash for cash fraudsters often target vulnerable drivers,
who are under time pressure or do not want to cause any
trouble

103. What should I do if I think I have been
targeted?
• Look out for warning signs: are cars in front of you travelling
unusually slowly or do they speed up and slow down for no good
reason?
• Is a driver paying particular attention to the vehicle behind them?
• Stay safe: always maintain a safe distance between you and vehicles
in front of you. Always ensure that you can brake in time.
• Stay alert: is the other driver way too calm for someone who has
just been involved in a car accident?
• Have they already written down their insurance details?
• Are their injuries completely at odds with the force of the impact?
Gather information: take notes of all relevant information,
including the driver, passengers and any other circumstances. Take
photos of the scene if you can - and if it is safe to do so.

104. Look out for warning signs

105. What are Crash for Cash scams and how can
you avoid them?
• One of the current dangerous ploys from the
criminal community are induced road
collisions, also known as ‘Crash for Cash’
scams.
• Crash for cash scams are dangerous money-
making schemes where criminals create
road collisions in order to try and claim for
insurance pay-outs.

106. What are Crash for Cash scams and how
can you avoid them?
• Insurance saw cases rise by 150% when the first
national lockdown was lifted in 2020 and we’re
expecting another rise now the latest lockdown
restrictions have been lifted.
• The perpetrator/s often stage incidents which are
designed to make you drive into the back of their car, so
that they can claim on the insurance and say it was your
fault. They are also likely to try and claim for damage
to their car or make bogus personal injury claims
caused by the collision, such as claiming they’ve
suffered whiplash, for example.

107. Insurance saw cases rise by 150% when the
first national lockdown was lifted in 2020

108. How do they do it?
• Criminals often choose their victims carefully,
for example, targeting the elderly or mums
with children in their car - people they think
they’re more likely to successfully intimidate.
• The results of the scams can be incredibly
dangerous as well as stressful for the
victims, as well as leading to higher motor
insurance costs for all driver something
that we all want to avoid.

109. Criminals often choose their victims carefully, for example,
targeting the elderly or mums with children in their car - people
they think they’re more likely to successfully intimidate.

110. How do they do it?
• Remember too, that the criminals who set
up these types of scams may not be working
alone and are often part of a gang.
• Some of them may also place ‘witnesses’
nearby who will claim the criminal driver’s
version of events is correct.

111. Remember, that the criminals who set up these types
of scams may not be working alone and are often
part of a gang

112. How to avoid becoming a victim of a
crash for cash scam
• Crash for cash incidents are, unfortunately, becoming
quite common, and are expected to rise in the near
future.
• According to the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB), a
not-for-profit organization which acts against
insurance fraud, an estimated 170,000 car insurance
claims in the period of just 15 months could be linked
to crash for cash gangs

113. According to the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB), an estimated
170,000 car insurance claims in the period of just 15 months
could be linked to crash for cash gangs

114. How to avoid becoming a victim of a
crash for cash scam
• If you are involved in an accident and think it may be a
Crash for Cash scheme, then gather as much
information as you can: take notes including information
about the driver, passengers, and if you can see any CCTV
in the area.
• If it is safe, it’s also worth taking photos of the scene.
• Call the police to report your suspicions and you can also
report insurance fraud confidentially using the IFB’s
Cheatline.
• Also, make sure you make a note of the police crime
reference number if you’re given one.
• By being more alert and aware of the risks, you can reduce
the chances of falling victim to a crash for cash scam.

115. Who is at risk from insurance scammers, and
where are the danger zones?
• Anyone can fall foul of insurance scammers,
but at least if you’re aware of the risks you can
drive defensively and minimize the chances of
being sucked into a fraudulent claim.
• So to minimize the chances of being
victimized by insurance fraud drivers need to
recognize why they might be a target, and
what the riskiest situations look like.

116. Anyone can fall foul of insurance scammers, but at least if you’re
aware of the risks you can drive defensively and minimize the
chances

117. Who is at risk from insurance scammers,
and where are the danger zones?
• As with other crimes, the perpetrators want an easy
life.
• That means insurance fraud car crashes often involve
vehicles driven by mums with a car load of kids who
may not be entirely focused on their driving.
• Other victims may be elderly, or anyone who looks as
though they won’t be argumentative or
confrontational when caught up in an accident.

118. Insurance fraud car crashes often involve vehicles driven by
mums with a car load of kids who may not be entirely focused
on their driving

119. Can you spot the ‘crash for cash’ danger
signs?
• It’s always good practice to keep a wary eye on
other road users, but the insurance fraudsters
often drive or behave in ways that can tip you
off to their possible intentions.
• Watch out in particular for cars with faulty brake
lights.
• Fraudsters often disable them deliberately so
following cars don’t get any warning when they
slow down violently.

120. Watch out in particular for cars with faulty
brake lights.

121. Can you spot the ‘crash for cash’ danger
signs?
• Look out also for cars that appear to be
travelling together, are slowing down and
speeding up erratically or for no apparent
reason, and for cars with occupants who seem to
be paying too much attention to how you’re
driving behind them.
• Existing rear-end damage is also a potential
giveaway, as the chances are you’re not the first
innocent driver a fraudster has targeted and they
may have caused collisions before.

122. Look out also for cars that appear to be travelling
together, are slowing down and speeding up
erratically

123. What to do if you suspect you’ve been
targeted by scammers?
• If you think a crash has been caused
deliberately, call the police immediately and
never admit liability.
• Record details of the accident – including
make, model and number plates of the cars
involved, time of the incident, where it
happened and even the weather conditions.

124. If you think a crash has been caused deliberately,
call the police immediately and never admit liability

125. What to do if you suspect you’ve been
targeted by scammers?
• If possible make a note of all the people in the
other car, where they were sitting and their
addresses and ages.
• Take pictures on your phone of any damage,
or lack of damage on the other car.
• Contact your insurer immediately to report
your suspicions.

126. Take pictures on your phone of any damage, or lack of
damage on the other car.
Contact your insurer immediately to report your suspicions.

127. Can you protect yourself from insurance
fraud?
• The two best ways to protect yourself from
insurance fraud are driving defensively and
using a dash cam to record your drives.
• A defensive driver who always leaves enough
room to stop will be much harder to lure into a
rear-end accident than somebody who is
distracted or driving close to the car in front.
• Using a dash cam that records erratic and
dangerous driving of other road users could
make all the difference when it comes to
fighting a fraudulent insurance claim.

128. The two best ways to protect yourself from
insurance fraud are driving defensively and using a
dash cam to record your drives.

129. • About 450,000 accidents
take place in India
annually, of which
150,000 people die.
“India has the highest
number of casualties in
road accidents,” said
the report.
• How many of these
accidents may be a
result of Crash for cash
scam ?

130. References
• Beware Crash for Cash Scams
• https://www.towergateinsurance.co.uk/commercial-vehicle-insurance/crash-for-cash
• Crash for cash The Association of British Insurers
• https://www.abi.org.uk/products-and-issues/topics-and-issues/fraud/crash-for-cash/
• Crash for Cash
• https://insurancefraudbureau.org/insurance-fraud/crash-for-cash/
• Crash for cash – how to beat the insurance fraud scams
• https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/107925/crash-for-cash-how-to-beat-the-
insurance-fraud-scams
• Insurance fraud: do you live in a ‘crash for cash’ hotspot?
• https://www.which.co.uk/news/2021/05/insurance-fraud-do-you-live-in-a-crash-for-cash-
hotspot/
• Crash for cash scams
• https://www.directline.com/car-cover/magazine/crash-for-cash-scams
• What are Crash for Cash scams and how can you avoid them?
• https://www.ageas.co.uk/solved/your-car/what-are-crash-for-cash-scams-and-how-can-
you-avoid-them/

131. We take life for granted, sleepwalking until a
shattering event knocks us awake.

132. Almost all accidents take place because of human
distraction. Sebastian Thrun

133. Thanks…